1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to articulating and rotating surgical instruments. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a coupling that allows articulation and rotation of an endoscopic portion of a surgical instrument, such as a clip applier, a surgical stapler and the like.
2. Background of Related Art
Endoscopic staplers and clip appliers are known in the art and are used for a number of distinct and useful surgical procedures. In the case of a laparoscopic surgical procedure, access to the interior of an abdomen is achieved through narrow tubes or cannulas inserted through a small entrance incision in the skin. Minimally invasive procedures performed elsewhere in the body are often generally referred to as endoscopic procedures. Typically, a tube or cannula device is extended into the patient's body through the entrance incision to provide an access port. The port allows the surgeon to insert a number of different surgical instruments therethrough using a trocar and for performing surgical procedures far removed from the incision.
During a majority of these procedures, the surgeon must often terminate the flow of blood or another fluid through one or more vessels. The surgeon will often apply a surgical clip to a blood vessel or another duct to prevent the flow of body fluids therethrough during the procedure. An endoscopic clip applier is known in the art for applying surgical clips during an entry to the body cavity. Such surgical clip appliers are typically fabricated from a biocompatible material and are usually compressed over a vessel. Once applied to the vessel, the compressed clip terminates the flow of fluid therethrough.
Endoscopic clip appliers that are able to apply multiple clips in endoscopic or laparoscopic procedures during a single entry into the body cavity are described in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,084,057 and 5,100,420 to Green et al., which are both incorporated by reference in their entirety. Another multiple endoscopic clip applier is disclosed in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,436 to Pratt et al., the contents of which is also hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. These devices are typically, though not necessarily, used during a single surgical procedure. U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,502 to Pier et al., the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein, discloses are sterilizable surgical clip applier. The clip applier advances and forms multiple clips during a single insertion into the body cavity.
Surgical fastening devices wherein tissue is first grasped or clamped between opposing jaw structure and then joined by surgical fasteners are also well known in the art. The fasteners are typically in the form of surgical staples, but two-part polymeric fasteners can also be utilized.
Instruments for this purpose can include a tool assembly with two elongated members which are respectively used to capture or clamp tissue. Typically, one of the members carries a staple cartridge which houses a plurality of staples arranged, for example, in at least two lateral rows while the other member has an anvil that defines a surface for forming the staple legs as the staples are driven from the staple cartridge. In some staplers, the stapling operation is effected by cam bars that travel longitudinally through the staple cartridge, with the cam bars acting upon staple pushers for sequentially ejecting the staples from the staple cartridge.
Endoscopic or laparoscopic procedures are often performed remotely from the incision. Consequently, application of clips or fasteners may be complicated by a reduced field of view or reduced tactile feedback for the user at the proximal end of the device. It is therefore desirable to improve the operation of the instrument by providing an instrument that is capable of articulating and rotating for better application of the surgical clips.